Next Heroes
by AglonAuthor
Summary: Everyone knows that everyone dies. Even heroes, and nobody knows it better than Marie. SHIELD is in need of heroes to take the Avengers' place after they're gone. They go out, recruiting gifted teenagers. Sometimes, hundreds of people die. But some days…there is some slight chance that nobody will die that day. When heroes come to call, sometimes everybody lives…
1. Discovered

1: Discovered

**I am in need of a cover photo! If you have an idea, PM me the link. I will slowly introduce each character at a time because I had HUGE writer's block, and I'm sorry about that. *Bows* Thank you. *Walks off stage***

Marie's limousine came to a stop at the red-carpet event. She could see all of her fans from behind the rope. They were talking loudly and excitedly. She opened the door of the limo and her fans cheered. She stepped out and walked down the carpet. She looked around at everyone, giving out her shiny, white, toothy smile.

BLEEP! BLEEP! BLEEP!

Marie looked around, a bit confused. Was that her agent calling her?

BLEEP! BLEEP! BLEEP!

Marie's eyes shot open and she groaned, pulling the cover's over her head. It was just her alarm clock. It had just been a dream. She pulled herself out of bed and got dressed. Just her average jeans with one of her old baggy t-shirts. She took out her hat she'd gotten on her last Disneyland trip and put it on. She ate breakfast and did everything she normally did before heading out of the door off to school.

Her school (a Jr. High in Los Angeles) was not far from her house and she walked there everyday. The bell rang as she walked through the gate and Marie jumped. She ran into her classroom, a bit frazzled. By the time she got there, everyone else was seated. The class laughed quietly as she stood awkwardly in the doorway. The teacher looked up at Marie and she blushed, hurrying to her seat. As she was in the middle of the aisle, someone discretely stuck out their foot, making Marie falling and her papers flying everywhere. The class laughed as she fixed her glasses and quickly scooped up her things, blushing furiously.

The loudspeaker beeped, showing that a message was coming. "Will Marie Kiehof come to the office please?" Everyone in the room turned to look at her in the back of the class. She shrank down then collected her things together, scurrying out of the door. She put on her backpack and walked to the office at the front of the school.

Marie opened the door and walked in. The secretary looked up and smiled. "Hello Marie." She knew everyone in the school by name. "There's a visitor waiting for you in the other room." Marie nodded slowly and opened the door to the room.

She stepped inside and saw a man sitting at the table. He looked up and smiled kindly at her. Marie examined him immediately. He had a firm body structure, indicating he had a lot of strength and was very physical. He wore a plaid button up shirt and jeans. He had neatly kept blonde hair and sharp blue eyes. He was obviously good at keeping a watch over his surroundings, just as she was.

Marie was much more observant than most people. She could memorize things quickly and remember just about every detail. It wasn't supernatural, she was just hyper-observant. She had been like that ever since she was little.

"Hello," he said. "I take it you're Marie Kiehof?" She nodded.

"Yes, that's me." Marie sat down. "What is it?"

"My name is Steve Rogers," he said. Steve put out his hand and Marie shook it. "Have you heard of the Avengers?"

**A/N DONE! With the first chapter anyway ;) Yes, it was a bit short, but chapters will lengthen as we go along.**


	2. Chapter 2

2: Unwillingly Dragged Into Being A Hero

**A/N Sorry for not updating sooner. I was working on my other fics (namely my Dr. Who one and Powerless Let's see:  
I don't own Marvel, but I hope to someday act in their movies (I'll keep dreaming).**

** MysteryGal5 - Yeah, I would be jumping up and down too. That's why I added Steve (Marie is one of my two code names on Fanfiction :D [Parker being the other one]). And I was wondering if someone (other than my Whovian friends) would find the River Song quote :) Here's the update!**

**Guest - Wow! Thanks! You seem enthusiastic :) And I will keep it up.**

**Noodle Fanatic - Why can't I be a total nerd? :) I am a fan, and the fact that I'm not loved in this story is fictional. Hence the word: Fanfiction. And thanks Noodles :) I will finish. I AM DETERMINED!**

**Avengerlicious - Thanks! :) I'll try to keep it that awesome (probably more so) :D**

**rice (guest) - Thanks!**

Marie stepped into her house. "Mom, I'm ho—" she stopped short. Several police men were in her house. W-Why though?! One of them saw her and tapped on a man's shoulder, then whispering something into his ear. The man nodded and walked over to Marie. He wore fairly nice clothes and a pair of glasses.

"Hello. I take it you're Marie?" She slowly nodded, still scanning him up and down in her head. "Walk with me." He opened the door and stepped outside before Marie hesitantly following. "I'm a detective. Detective Allot. You had a great relationship with your parents, didn't you?"

"Yes. Our whole family was connected in perfect harmony." Marie answered.

The man smiled half-heartedly. "Well…I don't want to seem religious…but do you believe in heaven?"

Marie stopped walking, heart racing. "Y-Yes."

The man turned around, very solemn. "I'm sorry Marie. I am so, so sorry."

She took a step back. "No," she whispered. "NO!" She turned and ran. She didn't care where she was going. She just wanted to run. Run away from reality. Run away from what was happening. Marie ran down the street and continued to run. After several minutes of wiping her tears and making turns, she ended up in a park. Marie didn't recognize it, but she didn't care. She sat down on bench and tried to stop her tears from falling.

She sat for several minutes before anything happened. A boy came up to the bench and sat down next to her. He looked to be in his really early twenties or really late teens. He had bright red hair with orange tips. His bangs were yellow, definitely dyed. Marie didn't think it was the best combination, but she wasn't to judge. He had two earrings in his right ear and three in his left, along with a piercing on his lower lip. He was pretty tall and looked like a fairly fit person. Marie turned away from the stranger when he took his seat.

He turned to her direction. "Hello. My name is Josiah Delmont. You're Marie Kiehof, right?"

"That's me," said Marie, trying to make sure her voice wasn't scratchy from crying.

"Have you had any strange occurrences as of late?" Marie turned around with a glare.

"What do you mean?"

"Things you've done that don't seem…human."

Marie stopped short and her eyes widened. "How'd you know?" she asked after the shock wore off, her eyes narrowing. "Who are you working for? CIA? FBI? You look too young to be a secret agent."

Josiah shifted a bit, changing his sitting position on the bench. "Marie, I'm an apprentice, training to become an agent for an society called SHIELD. We can provide a place for you and training so you can control your powers. I'm sure you'd prefer a nice room and people who can help you over an orphanage." He folded his arms and leaned back a bit.

Marie stared at him for a while. Should she trust him? He seemed pretty serious and truthful about it. She shifted uncomfortably in her position. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes for a moment, thinking it over. She opened her eyes. "I'll do it." Josiah gave her a toothy smile and stood up. Marie copied his actions.

He nodded. "We should get to the jet."

Josiah being to walk, Marie in suit. "Um…you wouldn't happen to know anything about someone named Steve Rogers…would you?" Marie inquired.

Josiah looked over his shoulder with an eyebrow raised. "Yes, actually. You'll meet him tonight."

"So we're going to New York, right?"

"Yeah. Did he tell you where he was from?" asked Josiah, obviously curious about the situation. "I thought he wasn't suppose to reveal his location."

Marie shook her head. "No no, he didn't say anything."

Josiah stepped into a van and Marie hesitated. He motioned for her to follow, so after a moment, she complied. "Well if he didn't say anything how did you know he was from New York?" he asked.

"His watch." Marie stated as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "It was three hours ahead of west coast time, therefore signifying he was from somewhere along the eastern coastline."

"Well how could you tell it was New York?" wondered Josiah, intrigued by this girl's talents. "He could've been from anywhere in the area."

"His shoes." Marie said with a shrug. Josiah raised an eyebrow, so she clarified. "I've been to the Big Apple once in my life, Josiah. I saw that brand of shoes. When I came back to California, I wanted a pair of my own. They're really nice running shoes. I couldn't find any so I looked up the brand online. They were only ever sold in New York, oddly enough."

-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-. -)"(-.-

Marie sat in the plane. She had been sitting in the plane for…a long time, she didn't know exactly how long. She was quite relieved when it began to descend. When the jet came to a complete stop, she got up and Josiah lead her out.

Marie let her jaw fall open. The view was amazing! They were on a skyscraper, a very tall one. She could see so many buildings! The streets down below looked like rivers of light. She grinned from ear to ear. "Marie," called Josiah. She turned around and hurried over to him. "Let me introduce you to the others," he said, leading her into the building.

When the two people walked inside, everyone's attention turned to them. There were seven other people in the room. Marie recognized two of them. Steve Rogers and Tony Stark. She didn't have to foggiest idea as to who the others were.

There was a girl talking with Tony, obviously around Marie's age. She was tall, and was brunette with matching chocolate brown eyes. She wore blue jeans with a green t-shirt.

The other younger person in the room was also a girl. She had black hair and sun kissed skin. She wore a red shirt and light shaded blue jeans, her pocket bulging. Obviously she had either an iPod or a phone with her. The girl also had an unzipped, dark brown leather jacket on. Her dark brown eyes were staring Marie down. After a few seconds, things clicked in both of their heads.

The girl dropped her glass and it shattered on the ground. Everyone looked away from Marie and turned to the girl. "Oh…my…pineapples."

Marie grinned widely. "Only you could use that phrase."

"Oh my gosh it is you!" They both ran forward and embraced in a warm hug. "Marie, you got your hair cut!"

"Yeah, 'course I did! Lily, I haven't seen you since forth grade!"

Josiah stepped forward. "Well I'm glad to know you've met one of the other students before." Marie turned around, slightly confused.

"Students? You mean like a school?"

"You wanted training, yes? Well there are other people who needed training. And do you know what they're being trained for?"

Marie froze, glancing at Lily a lot. "W-What?"

Josiah smiled. "We're going to become the next Avengers team. The next heroes."


	3. Chapter 3

3: Introductions

**A/N Hello guys :) SCHOOL IS OUT! Haha, I feel free! I'll have more time for fanfictions, so be prepared for more updates! Although, within two days I'll be going to three parties. One of them an over-nighter, so…uhhhh…I take that back…I might not have time XD**

**Warnings: None**

**Let's see, I don't own:  
Marvel, Star Wars, or Memory (any version of it)**

**Noodle Fanatic - Thanks Noodles :) And yes, pineapples. I had Psych on the mind.**

**MysteryGal5 - Thank you :D The lessons will show up soon! Here's the update :)**

**Avengerlicious - Thanks!**

Marie stood stock still as her eyes flickered through the room. "Wait, so you mean…you guys are the Avengers?" she asked, looking at all of the adults.

"Yes," answered one of them she did not recognize.

Marie opened her mouth, but before she could say anything Lily grabbed her hand. "Come on, Marie, You need to meet the others," she walked out of the room, towing Marie behind. "Lexie," she said over her shoulder. The brunette girl caught up with them and followed close behind.

"Hi, my name is Alexandra Carlton. Call me Alex or Lexie."

"Marie Kiehof; nice to meet you." She turned back to Lily. "So why are you here?"

"Why else would I be here? I'm an apprentice!"

"But why are you an apprentice?" The three Jr. Heroes stepped into the elevator.

"I have powers. Gained 'em a year after I moved to NYC. Long story. I can control and manipulate ice and I have super speed."

Marie laughed. "I wonder why someone as calm as you would have super speed…" she said sarcastically.

"Shut up."

Alex spoke up. "So what special talents do you have, Marie?"

"Mostly mind abilities. Telekinesis and telepathy. My balance and athletic skills were enhanced as well." She smiled. "It sure helped with my P.E. grades."

The trio stepped out of the elevator and into a living room. They walked passed and down a hall.

"So what can you do, Alex?" wondered Marie.

Alex smirked. "Me? I can turn invisible and I can manipulate thoughts. Not completely alter and change them, just manipulate them."

"Like a Jedi?" Marie asked, raising her eyebrow.

Alex laughed. "Yeah, I guess."

"This is not the girl you're looking for," Marie said with a wave of her hand.

The threesome laughed some more as they walked into a room. It was a lot like the first room they had been through. A lot like the first room. The only differences were a larger TV, it had beanbag chairs, a lighter shade of carpet, there was no piano, and the fact that there were two people in the room; one boy and one girl.

The boy had curly brown hair and dark blue eyes. He was lounging on a nearby beanbag chair. He was clearly older than Marie, but not by a whole lot. Maybe about a year or two. He wore a simple silver necklace and seemed to be in his pajamas.

The girl had bright hazel eyes and straight black hair, much like Lily's. She sat on the couch with her knees up to her chest. She was probably around sixteen or seventeen, the oldest one in the room. She had on baggy jeans and a navy blue Beatles t-shirt. Her nose was stuck in a book, but the title couldn't be seen through her knees.

"Hey guys," said Alex, "we got a newbie!" Marie's cheeks flushed at the term 'newbie'. "Her name's Marie. She's bringing in the brains to the group."

"Hey, My name's Andrew," said the boy. "I can manipulate metal, I have super strength, and I have an audio and photographic memory." He shrugged. "Not gonna beat me at the board game Memory."

"My name's Andy," the girl said, putting her hand in the air and waving it once. "I have enhanced senses and I'm great with a gun. Seventeen years old if you're wondering." She never looked at Marie and soon stuck her face back into the book.

"And I'm fifteen," said Andrew. "What did Alex mean by 'bringing the brains into the group'?"

"I have mental powers."

"Like telekinesis and telepathy?" he asked.

"Yeah, exactly." As the three other girls settled into the room, Alex began talking.

"So, Tony told me that someone else is coming in tomorrow." She got comfortable in a blue beanbag chair.

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Really? Wow, they're rolling them in. What do you know?"

"Well, I think it's a girl, and she's in her teens. Around your age," she added, pointing at Marie.

Andrew sighed. "Me and Siah really need more guys around here." Marie figured Siah was Josiah's nickname. Lily gave a light chuckle. "So do you know where you're staying?"

"Um, no, I don't," Marie said, running her hand through her short hair.

Andrew pointed down the hallway on the right. "That way are the guys' rooms," he pointed to the hallway on the left, "and that way are the girls' rooms." He lowered his hand and looked at Marie.

"Here," said Lily, "Lexie and I will show you the available rooms." She stood up and Marie followed both her and Alex.

"There's two rooms left to choose from," explained Alex. "You can pick which ever one you want and the last one will be left for the new girl." They got to the last four doors. "These two are bedrooms," she said, pointing to the first ones, "this is the bathroom," she pointed to the next closest, "and that's the laundry room," and Alex pointed to the one at the end of the hall. She rolled her eyes. "Like I'm actually planning on doing my own laundry."

"You're going to have to at some point," Lily said.

Marie smiled and opened the door to the first room. It was navy blue with white trimmings. The bed had a blue and black theme. She didn't like it all that much, so she opened the next door.

When Marie opened the door to the next bedroom, she liked it immediately. It was a purple room with black trimmings. The bed was mostly black, but had some yellow. She smiled and stepped inside, getting a better look. "I want this one."

"It seems a bit dark for you Marie," Lily commented.

"But I like it. It doesn't seem to dark. I mean, it has purple…"

"Well that means the other girl gets the blue room," said Lexie.

A thought dawned on Marie and she turned around to face Lily and Alex. "What about all my stuff?"

"Don't worry," said Alex, "they're bring some of your stuff over the course of a few days. Not all of it though, just important things or things with memories. You can easily buy more clothing."

Lily squealed and jumped up and down like a school-girl. "Shopping!" Marie groaned.

She hated shopping.


	4. Mall (The Most Horrid Place On Earth)

**A/N Tada! Here's another one :)**

**Avengerlicious - Thanks! Yeah, that's what Alex reminded me of, so I used it as clarification.**

**MysteryGal5 - Finally, someone who also dislikes shopping! And the only character I actually made up was Marie. The audience made up the others :)**

**Cheetahstar - I'm gonna be REALLY busy this July, so I won't have much of a vacation :( It'll be fun though, but I won't be able to update. And thanks! Here's the update!**

**Noodle Fanatic - No. No, please no. No no no no no no no! NO SHOPPING! Yes there is a Memory board game. You flip over a title and try to match them. I have the Winnie the Pooh version :3**

**Warnings: Mentions of child abuse**

**Let's see…:**

**I don't own Marvel, Crayola, 'What Makes You Beautiful', Barnes & Nobles, Bearstein Bears, Kwirk World, Dodgers**

Marie woke up to giggling. Her eyes were still shut. What was going on. She groaned and rolled onto her other side. The surprised laughing increased. Marie slowly blinked and opened her eyes. She sat up straight when she saw Andy, Alex, and Lily in her room. Shaking her head, trying to rid herself of tiredness, she opened and closed her mouth a few times. "Marie, you might want to get a washcloth," said Alex with a smile. Lily cracked and laughed…a lot. She calmed down and passed Marie a handheld mirror.

The look on Marie's face was all the entertainment they needed. Her face was covered in turquoise marker, obviously Crayola. She now had a mustache and a beard. Lily had written: 'Property of Lily Falda' on Marie's forehead. She had several polka dots everywhere else. Lily was close to collapsing on the ground from lack of air, she was laughing so much. Andy wasn't laughing quite as much as Lily, but was still outwardly laughing. Marie nearly fell out of her bed trying to stand up.

She put the mirror down, grabbed her glasses, and ran into the bathroom. After a few minutes of scrubbing, she came out with a clean face and an annoyed expression. "Ow, you look ticked," said Lily.

"It's not that we have anything against you, it's just a tradition to do it to every new person," explained Andy.

Marie sighed. "Alright. But seriously…never do that again."

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

The four girls stepped out of the taxi. Alex paid the cabbie the money owed and he drove away. They walked into the mall, Marie at the back of the group. "Marie, catch," said Andy. Marie looked up and saw a card coming at her. She quickly snatched it out of the air and looked at it.

She held it up. "Is this a credit card?"

"Yep," said Andy. "SHIELD provides each new recruit with one thousand dollars to start out with. Then Mr. Stark adds some more."

Marie's eyes widened. "How much money DOES he add?"

The three experienced heroes exchanged glances. "Um…" said Lily. "About four thousand."

"There is five thousand dollars on this credit card?!" Marie said in shock.

"And it's all yours," said Alex. "But don't go declaring it to the world. Don't want any jerks to steal it."

Marie slowly nodded, mouth still open in shock. "Make up," said Lily. All eyes turned to her. "Make up is the first thing you need to get."

"Uhhhhhhhh no. I don't wear make up."

"You will become an Avenger for crying out loud," protested Alex. "You're going to need something to improve your image for the camera."

Marie was silent for a long while. "Improve my image?" she asked offendedly.

"Okay, Marie, we'll only get a little bit for important events," said Lily.

"But I—"

Suddenly the song on the speakers changed. On came one of the most well known One Direction song; What Makes You Beautiful. "Come on!" Lily yelled. "Let's do this!" She ran to the center by the fountain and started dancing.

"No," said Marie, "please no. Lily, you're an embarrassment." She rubbed her face and saw Andy and Alex exchanging worried glances. "I don't know this person!" she announced, walking off.

After the song ended, the three girls laughed (slightly embarrassed) at Lily's behavior. They all looked around. "Hey," wondered Andy, "where'd Marie go?"

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

The three Jr. Heroes had pretty much given up on finding Marie. She had not been given her own Stark Phone yet, so they couldn't call her. It was a large mall, but she was thirteen, so she could handle it. After an hour, Andy split off from the group. She snuck into the Barnes & Nobles joint nearby.

Andy absolutely loved to read. It was the best thing in the world! She could step away from reality and indulge herself with wizards, spaceships, heroes, heroines, dragons, adventure, magic, and so much more. She could easily spend hours in a book store or a library. It would allow her to break away to her own thoughts and to her own world. No worries, no problems. She would always go to the library with her dad before he left. She hated him for leaving. She hated him for going to be with another woman other than her mom. Yet, Andy couldn't help but remember some sweet memories before the storm came.

_"Daddy, I want this one," persisted Andy, holding up a Bearstein Bear book._

_"You sure?" wondered her father. "You seemed like you wanted the book on bats even more."_

_"Bats are creepy," she said, sticking out her tongue. Her dad laughed. "But I do like kittens." She gasped in excitement. "Can I get a kitty book? Please please please please please?"_

_Her dad laughed again. "Alright, one more book." Andy snatched it off of the shelf and put it in her bag. "Come on, Sweetheart." He ruffled her long brown hair and lifted her up onto his shoulders with a giggle._

"Andy?" Andy was torn from her thoughts when she looked up. It was Alex. "We noticed you'd slipped away. Lily and I figured this is where you'd be. It is where you usually are, after all."

Andy was silent for a moment before placing down the book she was skimming over. "Right. Um…yeah. I-I'll be right with 'ya." She waved off Alex dismissively and let her thoughts wander for a little bit longer.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

When Alex first noticed Andy had disappeared, it was when she and Lily had reached the food-court. She tapped Lily on the shoulder. "You look for Marie, I look for Andy. You seem to know Marie better. When you find her, meet me back here." With a simple nod, Lily jogged off, often riding her shopping cart with the momentum she gave it.

Alex walked off at a slow pace. She wasn't to worried, for she knew exactly where Andy was. She was at Barnes & Nobles, like always. Alex was still surprised Andy hadn't read every single book in that store. She let her mind wander as she unconsciously walked towards the book store.

In two days it would be the anniversary of her coming to New York. It would be her tenth year in working with SHIELD. It had been that long already. She wasn't the oldest, but she had the most knowledge of what it meant to be a hero. She'd seen things no one else has ever seen.

Alex didn't have the best childhood. She was only three when her father and older sister (who had been 6 at the time) died in a plane crash. She had vague memories floating around of receiving the news and the funeral. She was young, so she could only remember flashes, images of a memory. She didn't have a great life back in Australia. She was only two when a sign of her powers first showed up. Lexi's parents and sister were deathly afraid of her. And her mother was never the same after Alexandra's father's death. She would come home really late from work and constantly hurt Alex and yell at her. Lexi was afraid to tell anyone though, too scared that she would make her mom even more mad. So she stayed quiet. Alex stayed quiet for a year, not even talking to anyone, often not making it to pre-school. She eventually couldn't take it anymore.

When Alex was four and a half, she devised a plan. Her and her mom were supposed to go to Italy for the summer, and Alex took the opportunity. She packed everything she could, as much stuff as she could possibly fit into her suitcase. Luckily, her mom didn't bother checking anything she had done, so it was an all clear. Having had her powers for two years, she had a feeble hold on them; but only just. When she and her mom were walking towards the plane she went invisible and slipped away. She couldn't turn anything else but her clothes invisible, so she stopped often, not wanting to raise suspicion (I mean, there was a floating duffle bag! Who wouldn't be suspicious?). After three minutes of stop and go, she snuck onto another plane. Lexi had no idea where the plane was going, but she didn't care. She was going away.

It turns out, the plane was headed to Los Angeles. She got off and wandered the streets that night. She hadn't planned it throughly enough. That was the night SHIELD came into the picture. That was the night her abnormal abilities were excepted. That was the night her life was changed.

Alex looked down one of the rows and saw Andy looking at the back of a book, reading the summary. "Andy," said Alex. Andy looked up, a bit startled. "We noticed you'd slipped away. Lily and I figured this is where you'd be." She shrugged. "It is where you usually are, after all."

Andy was silent for a moment before placing down the book she was skimming over. "Right. Um…yeah. I-I'll be right with 'ya." She waved off Alex dismissively and after a pause, Alex left.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

When Lily was sent off to find Marie, she had a vague idea as to where to go. Marie didn't know the mall very well, but there was no doubt she would run into Kwirk World. Lily pushed her cart forward and jumped onto it, rolling forward.

She jumped off of the cart and walked forward. Lily past a toy store, several cars in the display window. She looked away and hurried past it. The biggest car was exactly the same as the one she crashed in. The car crash that killed her parents. They had been going to the Statue of Liberty a year after they moved to New York. There had been a bank robbery as they drove past. The tires were shot and they swerved into thick traffic. Lily and her sister May had been alright, but not their parents. It was right then and there that Lily decided to stop using her powers to her advantage. Is was right then and there that she decided she would become someone greater…someone who could help others.

Lily came up to Kwirk World and went inside. She looked around the store (occasionally picking up a few things to buy) when she came around the corner and saw a large group of people huddled in a circle. Quickly examining the situation, she realized someone must've gotten hurt. Badly. Lily pushed through the crowd and dropped her things. Marie was the one lying on the ground, head leaned up against the wall, glasses askew on the floor. Lily fell down to her friend's side, examining her wounds. Shot in the calf, blow to the head causing a concussion, and still half conscious. "Marie, I'm going to get help, I promise." She looked up at the crowd. "Did any of you call 9-1-1?"

"I did," said a worker. "They said they're sending paramedics now."

"No one else call 9-1-1," she ordered, "we don't need there operators flooded with the same problem."

She whipped out her phone and speed dialed Alex. "Come on," she whispered. "Pick up!"

"Lily?"

"Alex, get to Kwirk World right now!" she yelled into the phone.

"Okay, okay, I'm coming. What is it?"

"It's Marie, she's been attacked. Hurry!" Lily heard Alex hang up on the other end and she stuffed her phone back into her pocket. "Come on, Marie. You're strong. You remember when we went to the lake back in California? Remember when we went inner-tubing and you fell off? You were strong."

"I was in third grade, Lily," said Marie, obviously with difficulty. Lily saw Andy and Alex come up behind her.

Lily pushed away tears. "The person who got you. What do they look like? You need to tell me!"

"How about I show you?" she whispered.

Lily was about to say something in confusion when Marie grabbed her and lightly pressed her fingers against the side of Lily's head. Lily gasped at the unexpected wave of…something. It felt strange. It was black for a moment before she saw the man. Pale skin, brown hair, dark brown eyes, blue Dodgers cap, jeans, black shirt. Her vision widened and zoomed out, too much of Lily's surprise. The man was at the food court, not far from where they were.

Lily gasped as the connection broke. She stumbled backwards in her squatting position. Marie was unconscious. Lily jumped to her feet. "Stay with her!" she yelled to Alex and Andy. She ran out of the store and to the food court. She ran as fast as she humanly could.

Then more so.

Lily streaked forward, surprising many shoppers. They didn't know what had happened. They saw nothing but a streak of color and felt only a large breeze. Lily saw the man up ahead. She gritted her teeth and ran straight for him. She put out her arms, prepared to tackle him to the ground, prepared to make him answer for what he did…when he side stepped it.

Lily's eyes widened and she tripped over the edge of the fountain and straight into it. She shook her head, getting the sopping wet hair out of her face. The man was grinning a sickening grin. Lily growled and the water slowly began to turn to ice. She grabbed a sphere ice chunk and sent it flying at him. Just before it hit he disappeared in a black mist.

The world seemed to go slow for Lily. She hadn't gotten him. He'd gotten away. She stood up and stepped out of the fountain, water dripping everywhere. She saw people running and screaming. She saw Marie being hurriedly taken away on a stretcher. How did she have that third power? When she said she only had telekinesis and telepathy, she didn't look like she was lying. She saw a paramedic walk up to her. He asked some questions and Lily answered them half consciously, not really paying attention to what was being asked. After the doctor left, Alex and Andy came over to her. They stood there and waited to be picked up and taken back to the tower by someone on the team. Lily didn't care about anything right now. The only thing she cared about was:

Who was the man that attacked Marie and what was his motive?

**A/N Dun dun dun duuuuuunnnnn! Finally, some action! So how does Marie have that power? Who was that man? We'll find out later! I hope it doesn't seem like I crammed to much in there. Who's character back story do you like the best? Let me know by clicking that review button ;) See 'ya in chapter 5**

**Favorites and follows are much appreciated!**


	5. Megan

**A/N Here we are! Chapter five! Man, I am on a roll! The new girl that was spoken of earlier comes and joins the Jr. team!**

**Cheetahstar - Haha. Ya, I'd probably end up buying something video game related. Oh, what I would do with 5,000 dollars :) Thanks! Here's the next chapter!**

**Avengerlicious - Thanks! :D I guess you'll just have to see how it all plays out. :) Lily is actually a friend of mine (in reality) and is definitely the kind of person who would tackle down someone who hurt a friend of hers. Thanks again!**

**MysteryGal5 - Yep. I love intensity :) Drawing on people's faces in their sleep is one of my favorite pranks. Plus, I live off of cliff hangers. It's how I thrive. Yeah, Alex's backstory is cool :) It involves her powers, so I think that's why people like it.**

**Caffeine Loving Otaku - Yep c: You'll just have to read on to see what happens! :D Thanks!**

**Noodle Fanatic (guest) - Having mixed emotions are we? :) WHOVIANS UNITE!**

**Warnings: Spoilers for season 5 of Doctor Who**

**Let's see…:  
I don't own Marvel or Converse**

Lily sat in her room, looking at a photo album. It was pictures from before her parents passed away. That meant they were mostly from back when she still lived in California. There were pictures of birthday parties and pictures of going on vacations. There was a photo of her, Marie, and another friend, Elizabeth. A small smile slowly etched its way onto Lily's face. They were outside the theater, just before watching a movie. The ushers all knew them back there. They must have had some sort of code name for them or something. They were known to talk a lot in the theater, her the most. Marie had really not liked theater talking.

Lily looked up when there was a knock at the door. The white painted door slowly swung open and in walked Natasha. "How are you doing?" she asked. Lily shrugged.

"I'm okay," she lied.

Natasha took the chair at the desk and sat down in it, facing Lily. "Can you tell me what happened?" she asked.

"Marie was attacked, I chased down the guy, and he got away. End of story." She folded her arms for emphasis.

Natasha leaned in a bit closer. "Andy says Marie did something to you. She says she grabbed the sides of you head and said she could show you what he looked like."

"So she did, okay? Is it that so big of a deal?"

"If it's another power she didn't tell us about, then yes, it is a big deal. What did she do?"

"I guess you could say it was like a mind meld from Star Trek."

"I've never watched any Star Trek."

Lily slowly nodded. "Then it was the same position from Doctor Who when the Doctor took away Donna's memories."

Natasha shook her head. "I've never seen any Doctor Who either."

"Okay then. Well, anyway, she basically put the tips of her fingers on the sides of my head and…I guess linked minds with me. She showed me an image of the man then zoomed out and showed where he was. After the link broke, she was unconscious. I chased down the guy, and he was where she had showed me he was."

Natasha nodded. "I see." She stood up, putting the chair back. "Well whatever that power is, it drains her. With the injuries she got, she should only be out for a few hours at most. But according to the scans, she'll be unconscious for at least one day. Three days tops." Lily jumped off of her bed and onto her feet.

"She'll be out for three days?"

"Tops. She'll probably wake up after two."

Lily paused. "Can I see her?"

Natasha debated. "Yes, you can." She opened the door and Lily followed. "Dr. Banner is working on finding a way to keep her powers from draining her, so he'll be there." Lily stepped into the elevator and wasn't followed. She pressed the hospital level and waited for the smooth elevator to stop. When it did, she walked into what was clearly an infirmary. Near the back, where all the equipment was, stood Dr. Banner and on the bed lay Marie.

Lily rushed over to her friend's bedside and Bruce stopped her from coming closer. "Just let her be," he advised. Lily slowly stepped forward, feeling sick to her stomach. "I'm supposing you want to know her status." Lily turned around.

"Yes please," she said quietly.

Bruce turned back to the desk and sifted through some papers. "She had a bullet wound in her leg, sniped. I took the bullet out, but it got some nerves and muscle. It isn't as bad as it could have been, but she may have some small permanent problem. If that's the case, it would only be that her left leg is slightly weaker, nothing more. She had a hit to the head with a blunt instrument—"

"Jeez, you're acting more and more like this is an autopsy."

Bruce paused, slightly surprised Lily knew what an autopsy was. "She got a concussion, but it'll heal quickly." He put down the papers. "All-in-all it's nothing life threatening and it could have been much worse. What I don't understand though, is why the attacker would go through all the trouble as to hire a sniper, but not flat out kill Marie. Why just shoot her leg?"

Lily looked back at Marie's still figure. "Agent Romonoff said she'd be out for another one to three days," she said, changing the subject.

"That's right," Bruce said. "And it's not because of her injuries." He sat down in a chair and gestured for Lily to do the same, so she did. "I was told you experienced a power none of us knew of." Lily stood up in outrage.

"Okay! She has another power we didn't know about! Is that so bad? Shouldn't that be a good thing! More super powers, yay! She showed me where the attacker had gone, then she went unconscious! Okay?" Bruce put a hand on Lily's shoulder. She looked around and saw snow on the ground. "Sorry," she said, looking away.

"What should you be sorry for? You're sorry you don't have a hold on your powers?"

"Well what am I suppose to do?" she snapped. "Be angry every time I want to go into battle?"

Silence settled into the room before Bruce answered. "That's what I do." Lily stood up and left the room, not looking back.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Lily sat in the corner of the living room on the Jr. Heroes floor. She was on a purple beanbag curled up in a ball. Everyone else was talking in the middle of the room, obviously worked up about something. Lily felt someone tap her shoulder. She looked up and saw Andrew. He handed her a Stark Industries tablet. "You might want to take a look at this." Lily stood up and opened the files. It had photos and articles on a girl. "Her name is Megan Reyes. She's coming here tonight." The more Lily looked over the files, the more saddened she became.

"Poor girl. She just found her powers yesterday?"

"Yeah," said Andrew. "She didn't understand what was happening and neither did anyone else."

Lily looked up from the tablet and glanced around the room. "Where's Josiah?"

"Oh. Siah's getting her…Megan. They should be back any minute now." He gestured for the tablet.

"Um, actually…can I look at the files a bit longer?"

"Sure," Andrew agreed with a nod. He walked away and left Lily to read. She sat down on the couch and read some more.

This Megan character was interesting. In the photos she looked around Marie's age. She had long, wavy, black hair. She had light brown eyes, wary of her surroundings. She had shape shifting and healing powers. Though her shape shifting was limited to one type of creature. Extinct ones. Dinosaurs. She apparently had turned into a velociraptor while at the park. She had no clue what was happening, and no one around did either. The next thing she knows, she wakes up by the river two block down from the park. That was yesterday, and Josiah had gone to find her before anything more severe happened.

There was a ding as the elevator stopped. Lily put the tablet away, knowing who it was. Out stepped Josiah, wearing his normal t-shirt, jeans and Converse. A girl was behind him, eyes darting about. No doubt about it, this girl was Megan Reyes. She had on blue jeans and a black jacket. No one could see the shirt underneath. "Hey guys," said Josiah. "This is Megan."

"If you want you can just call me Meg," she said.

"I hope you all read the files." He smiled at Megan. "I'll leave you all to introductions." He stepped back into the elevator and the doors closed. Andrew was the first one to speak up.

"Hi. My name's Andrew. Andrew Jones. I can manipulate metal, I have both an audio and photographic memory, and I have super strength." He smiled and so did Megan.

"The name's Falda. Lily Falda."

"Oh, so you're going all James Bond on us?" inquired Alex.

"Yes, Lexie. Yes I am. I have super ultra mega awesome speed, and I can create, control, and manipulate ice." She sighed. "If I'm angry."

"My name's Alexandra Carlton. You can call me Alexandra, Lexi, Alex, whatever you want really. On second thought, don't call me Alexandra. Only Alex or Lexie." She grinned. "I can mess with people's thoughts and turn invisible." She made her hand disappear to demonstrate.

Andy walked by with her face in a Lord of the Rings book (what else was new). She looked up. "You doing introductions?" she asked. "My name's Andy Matthews." She looked at her book again. "I have enhanced senses, am great with a gun, and can put fourteen marshmallows in my mouth at once," she finished, continuing walking to her room.

"Now that's a fact I did not know," muttered Lily.

Megan bounced up and down on her feet. "So do I have a room?"

Alex smiled. "Right. Down the girls' hallway!" She and Lily went down the hall. "Here's your room," she said, stopping at the last bedroom door. "That's the bathroom and that's the laundry room."

Megan furrowed her brow and looked up the hallway. "Is this the only available room?"

"Yeah," said Lily, "sorry about that."

"No, it's just that…there's four other doors and this is the only available one, but I only saw three girls. You two and that Andy girl. Is there someone else?" She grabbed the handle to Marie's room and began to open it. Lily put her hand on the door and slammed it shut.

"This room is taken."

"By who?" Lily was twitching, so Lexie took over the conversation.

"There's another team member. She was injured. She's in the hospital right now. They don't expect her to wake up for another three days…give or take."

You could almost see the sweat appear on Meg's face and she paled. She was probably worried now that this would happen to her. "Oh. I'm sorry. Do you think I could see her?"

"She's unconscious," said Lily.

"But she's still a member of the team!"

"You don't want to meet her," said Alex, staring down Megan.

"But I do want to meet her!"

"You don't need to meet her, and you don't want to meet her." After this, Megan's eyes seemed to glaze over for a moment before she shook her head.

"You're right. On second thought, I'll just wait until she comes 'round." And with that, she walked into her room.

Alex turned to Lily. "Thank you thought manipulation." Lily was leaning on Marie's door, arms folded. She put her arm around her. "Hey, Meg seems like a nice girl. Give her a chance."

"I am!" Lily protested. She sighed. Or at least, I'm trying." She grumbled and ran her hand over her face. "I guess I'm just on edge after what happened this morning."

Alex smiled half heartedly. "Yeah, it's putting me off too. I can see how it's harder for you though." She playfully hit Lily. "Come on. We need some dinner." The two heroes smiled as they nudged each other, walking down the hallway.

**A/N There we go. The ending was very cinematic in my opinion :) I hope you're enjoying this so far! What are your thoughts on the characters? Let me know by clicking that review button! ;) See 'ya in chapter 6**

**Favorites and follows are much appreciated!**


	6. Training Begins

**A/N ***IMPORTANT!*** I won't be able to update for a month. I AM NOT ABANDONING THIS FIC! I'm just going to the other side of the country and I will be busy. Very busy. I'm actually doing something important there, not just vacation. So there won't be an update in a while, and I'm sorry. But don't worry, I will come back for it. Promise. But for now, read, favorite, follow, review, and leave ideas :) I always like good ideas. And now, onwards!**

**Warnings: None**

**I don't own…:**

**Marvel,**

**Avengerlicious - Thanks :)**

**MysteryGal5 - I've been trying my best to add humor and epicosity :) Lily has nerd moments a lot. Thanks for the review!**

**AglonAuthor (Noodle Fanatic using my account) - Noodles, don't use my account please. You use my fanfiction I use your YouTube…but thanks!**

It had been two days since the incident at the mall. They were having a small party in honor of Alex's ten year contribution to SHIELD. Everyone was having a great time talking, joking, and laughing. Megan had time to settle down into the tower and began to make friends. She was considered a part of the Jr. team now. She was beginning to be able to control herself while in dinosaur form. It turns out she could do any form of dino, but was best at velociraptor.

Without warning, the elevator opened. Everyone was still and waited for the person inside to walk out. No one was expected. There in the elevator stood Marie, grin on her face and crutches beneath her arms. "MARIE!" Lily ran forward and hugged her tightly. Marie tried to hug back and keep balance at the same time, but it was harder than it looked. Alex ran forward and smiled at her.

"Well look who's here," said Tony with a grin. "Welcome back!"

"It's good to be back. I'm excited for life," she said with a smile.

"You do know you can't do any training for at least three weeks, right?" said Clint.

Marie sighed dejectedly. "Yeah. But hey, it'll be fun to watch you guys do it," she said, looking at the Jrs.

"Speaking of training," said Megan, "I was wondering when we would start."

"Tomorrow," said Steve. "So you should all be up at 6:00, so be prepared."

Alex, Lily, and Andrew all groaned loudly. "Not an early riser," muttered Andrew, "I am not an early riser."

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Lily and Marie stood at the gun range. Marie looked at Lily and smiled. "No, I'm not good at shooting guns," Lily said.

"Come on."

"But—"

"Just try!" insisted Marie.

Andy walked up, gun in hand. She put it up and shot seven rounds. All of them hit the center. She walked away, leaving the other two girls gaping in awe at her.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Andrew was practicing his metal manipulation when his piece of metal it suddenly disappeared. His eyes widened for a moment before they narrowed and he looked around the room suspiciously. "Lexie, give me my stuff back."

"Awwwww…" said a voice out of no where. Alex appeared and handed Andrew his large piece of metal dejectedly. She wore a black and pale blue spandex suit. Most people knew why she wore it during training sessions. Only certain types of fabric went invisible along with her. Cotton and spandex. Spandex for her suit, and cotton for a daily outfit.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Lily was working on super speed and running laps around the indoor track. She then came to a halt and looked with an open mouth at what was in front of her. A pterodactyl. She opened and closed her mouth several times before coming to realize it was Megan.

Lily sighed and smiled. "So…Meg. Wanna see how fast a pterodactyl flies compared to my running?" The pterodactyl bobbed its head in agreement. "Ready. Set. Go!"

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Josiah snuck up behind Alex. He was blended into his environment, thanks to his camouflage powers. He wasn't exactly invisible, but still hard to spot. He smiled. "Alex," he whispered in her ear, than running off. Lexie whipped around, trying to find the source. "Alex," he whispered again. She searched the room. "Alex."

"Josiah, I know it's you!" she said.

He made himself visible. "Oh you do, do you?"

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

"So I can't train until I'm healed?" asked Marie.

Clint nodded. "That's right."

She was silent for a moment. "But my abilities involve mental power. I don't have to do anything physical!"

Clint paused. She did have a point. "But your power that you used on Lily left you unconscious for two days."

"Well I just won't use that one, will I?"

Clint debated it. "Alright. We'll work on improving your telepathy first."

"Oh, I've got a pretty good hold on that."

"Really? Well what am I thinking?"

Marie stared hard into his eyes. "No, you can't have bacon. That's my bacon. Nobody eats my bacon but me." Clint smiled and Marie's eyes widened. "Oh no you didn't! You did? Oh dear…"

"What are you guys talking about?" They both turned to the doorway and saw Tony. "Am I interrupting something?"

"Um…no. No you aren't," said Marie. "Just…please don't declare a prank war."

Tony slowly nodded. "And that basically means I should watch my back, right?" He walked off. Clint and Marie exchanged glances.

"Oh, we are so going to need to put his reaction on YouTube," Marie stated. Clint nodded in agreement, running to get a video camera.

**A/N So…yeah. Short. If I miraculously find time (and Internet) I may post the 7th chapter. In the meantime, check out my other fanfictions! Who's powers would you want to have? Let me know by clicking that review button! ;) See 'ya in a month.**

**Favorite and follows (and reviews) are much appreciated!**


	7. Shadow

7: Shadow

**A/N Hey! What do ya know? I'm not dead! After a month, I think I'm ready to come back. I'm exhausted though. This chapter was inspired by my vacation :)**

**MysteryGal5 - Good choice! Turning into dinosaurs would be epic! Great nickname too! I'm sorry! I was practicing in a play and performing (best experience ever by the way). But don't worry. The month's wait is over!**

**Avengerlicious - Ah, yes. Pranking Tony. The most glorious of things :) Just make sure to sleep with your eyes open from then on :D. Both Lexie's and Andrew's powers are really cool! Heck, I want all of them!**

**I Don't Own…:  
Marvel or anything that has to do with Niagara Falls**

Time goes by. Things past. Things end. Things begin. After half a year, criminal activity was quite low. Not much you could really do other than arrest a mugger. The Jr. Heroes were still…well…Jr. Heroes. Josiah had graduated from high school and officially joined SHIELD as an agent. All of the heroes had gotten to know each other, both Avengers and those in training. No one new joined and no one left. Marie had healed fully and was back in training. When pushed to her fullest and strained too much, she would limp; this never stopped her though. Nothing ever really changed in Stark Tower.

No missions had ever yet been given to the Jr. Heroes. They had always longed for a battle, but none ever came. Finally, after all this time, they were given a mission. A mission of their own, with no Avengers helping them out.

"We've been having some strange signatures show up recently," said Steve. Everyone, including the Avengers, were in a conference room. "Fury decided to hand this off to you."

"There've been various places where the area has been disturbed on a molecular level," Tony said, taking the orientation over to the more scientific side. "When this happened, a split second later the same thing would happen somewhere else in the world." He put up a digital 3-D globe. "The last occurrence was in Niagara New York."

"Niagara?" wondered Andy out loud. "You mean like Niagara Falls?"

"Yes," said Clint. "We want you to go check it out and see if it's a threat."

Lexi sighed. "That sounds boring," she moaned.

"It's either that or cleaning your rooms."

Andrew stood up. "Well I say we go check it out!"

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

The seven heroes sat shoulder to shoulder on the trolly. It was a busy day at Niagara, and SHIELD could only get them so far before they had to use public transportation. Each of them wore their suits underneath their civilian clothes just in case things got bad. They had designed their suits and come up with their hero names not long after Marie had healed. Lily, Josiah, and Megan were standing and holding onto the bar above, but the other four were squashed together on wooden seats.

They all tumbled off of the trolley and stood outside the state park. "Hey!" said Marie. "I can see Canada from here!"

"Hey!" said Josiah. "I can see my house from here!"

"Really?" Megan asked.

"…No."

Andrew pulled out a device from his backpack. He examined the screen for a bit. "Guys! It just happened again inside of the main information center!"

"Should we surround it?" asked Andy.

"It would probably be smart if some of us stood in front of the entrances while the others went inside and looked for the source," said Alex.

"Sounds good," Lily agreed. "I'll go inside."

"So will I," said Andrew.

"Me too." Megan joined.

"Good," said Marie. "That leaves four of us to stay at the four entrances."

"There are only three entrances," corrected Lexie. "You can double with me."

Marie shook her head. "Nah, that's okay. I'll keep an eye on the Falls area. Whatever it is might happen again outside of it."

Alex nodded. "Fair enough."

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Lily walked around the gift shop as casually as she could manage. Her suit underneath was actually pretty comfortable. It was wearing the normal clothes over it that was bothering her. She saw several families walking together and also saw some dates going on. She couldn't help but smile. They had no idea what was really going on in the world. After being around SHIELD for so long Lily came to realize how oblivious to everything the general public really is. SHEILD just managed to avoid WWIII, but no one knew, so no one cared.

She reached into her pocket and took out a similar device to Andrew's. It did all the same things (namely tracking down the strange molecular signature) but was made to look like an iPhone. Lily's eyes flickered back and forth across the screen. Supposedly the unusual occurrence had taken place in the theater, which was closed for the next week.

Lily looked around for a bit and after making sure the coast was clear, quickly ran through the door. She let her eyes adjust to the dim let before walking around. Lily's footsteps were muffled by the carpet on the floor. Then the silence was broken.

"Hello!" Lily whipped around, sending several sharp shards of ice at the voice. There was a swirl of black smoke and the same thing behind her. Lily turned around again and made to punch the person when they grabbed her arm. Her heart pounded and made to punch with her other hand when she felt a pitching feeling in her leg. Lily felt fine for a moment, but suddenly her leg couldn't take the weight of her body and she collapsed.

A man stepped out of the shadows. Lily's eyes widened. He wore blue jeans, a gray long sleeved shirt and a baseball cap. His maniacal grin was spread across his face. His dark brown eyes stared straight into Lily's own. His light brown hair was slicked back, but no details about it could be gained because of his hat. He had pale skin that made him seem to have never gotten sun before. He leaned over Lily and she knew there was no mistaking it.

This man was the same man who attacked Marie six months ago.

"You," she growled. Lily attempted to get up but found herself numb. "What did you do to me?"

The man grinned and began to finger a needle in his hands. "Oh, not much. I've just been working on a few different serums. Some to enhance powers, some to change them…" He held up the needle. "This one in particular? It takes powers away." Lily's heart jumped to her throat. "No worries though, it's merely temporary. It'll only last the day. I didn't give you the full dose."

Lily lay helplessly on the floor at the mercy of this maniac. She was unsure what to do. She could barely move at all and her powers wouldn't work for the rest of the day. "Why did you attack Marie?"

"Pardon?"

Lily was loosing her temper. "Six months ago! At a mall in New York City! At Kwirk World! You shot and in other means hurt my friend! Why?!"

The man shook his head. "Did your dear friend Marie ever tell you how her parents died?" Lily didn't answer. Shifting her leg a little bit, she felt feeling coming back to her. "Well I didn't plan on killing her. I just wanted to send a message to all superhumans. How come the Avengers and you 'Jr. Heroes' are so privileged yet here I stand persecuted by the world because I'm different?"

"Who are you?" Lily asked in a growl.

The man laughed. "Are you seriously daft enough to think I would tell you my name? Just call me Shadow."

Lily seized the opportunity and jumped at the man. He side stepped it easily and Lily fell to the ground, shakily holding herself on her elbow. He tsk tsked. "Well now I guess it's about time I finished my job." He walked towards the door and continued speaking to Lily. "You might want to run as fast as a human for once. Marie's right next to the falls…" He turned around as he placed his hand on the door and gave one last line to Lily before leaving.

"And the rapids are quite harsh this year."

A/N I come back from vacation yet I give you a cliff hanger. Oh, how evil am I? **Haha. Well technically my vacation's not even over yet. So your lucky I got to this story sooner. What do you think? What are your predictions for the next chapter? Let me know by clicking that review button!**

**Reviews, favorites, and follows are much appreciated! :D**

**Until next time**


	8. KIA

8: KIA

**Warnings: FEELS! SAD ONES!  
Character death-ish in a way yes**

**I Don't Own…: Marvel or anything involving Niagara Falls**

**A/N Hey hey! I'm here! Vacation time is over :(**

**MysteryGal5 - Oh…well then. Uh…not 100% sure how to react. Well then…here's the update…**

**Noodle Fanatic - Huh? What do you mean you're wimpy? But thanks for lovin' it! :D**

**EmeraldGarmadon - Thank you! I've been trying my best to make sure there's some humor, even though it's starting to get into more action. Star Trek Mind Melds are fantabulous!**

**Avengerlicious - WHAT?! No vacation?! D: Catastrophe! Well, here's an update and your suspense is coming to an end! Thanks!**

Lily's heart pounded. "No," she whispered. "No…Marie." She grabbed a nearby chair and hoisted herself up onto her feet. She needed to find Marie. She needed to make sure Shadow didn't get to her. So she ran. Lily ran as fast as she could, but the injection was taking its toll. Her powers were, indeed, gone. She couldn't run very fast anymore.

Lily stumbled out of the theater and grabbed some railing. Shaking herself, trying to clear her head, she tried to run once more. She needed to hurry. She needed to be quick. She needed to run.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Marie stood by the railing and watched the water go over Horseshoe Falls. It was chilly that day, as it was coming closer and closer to winter. It wouldn't be long before snow days would begin. It was December after all. Marie had been to Niagara Falls once before, but not during the winter. She wanted to see the snow covered waterfalls.

Marie's phone beeped. She took it out and looked at it. This occurrence happened again. It was in the theater, and the second one right behind her. She turned around and saw nothing out of the ordinary. She took one hard look around and realized that something was out of place. The tree closest to her had a shadow that didn't match up. It had one big branch in the shadow that did not exist on the actual tree. Marie cocked her head slightly in confusion. She slowly stepped forward towards the shadow when out of it formed a man. Marie gasped and stepped back, bumping into the railing.

The man grinned and walked forward. "You!" Marie yelled, hatred boiling inside of her. The man chuckled.

"Oh yes, it is me." He walked up closer to Marie. "I've come back for you Marie. I didn't finish what I started."

Marie spun around him to get away from the edge. "Why did you try to kill me?" she asked. "What's the point of all this?"

"What's the point?" he asked, turning to face her. "What's the point?! You're parents! That's the point!" Marie stood stock still. The man paused, examining Marie. "You don't know, do you?" Marie's heart was pounding in her chest. "You don't know who your parents worked for."

"My dad was a teacher and my mom worked at a movie theater," Marie said, "but I don't see how that's important. What do you mean I don't know who they worked for?"

The man grinned. "You really don't know…You honestly, TRUELY don't know? Haven't you ever wondered where you got your powers? Did you ever learn how your parents died?"

Marie was silent. No, she never did learn how her parents died. She ran before she could be told. No, she never learned how her powers came to be. It was just something that had happened, nothing more. She was interested in what this man knew and what he had to say, but she refused to admit it. Marie heard people calling her name, coming closer to her, but she didn't give heed. The man stepped closer. "I killed them, Marie. And for a good reason too."

"NO!" The fence keeping people away from the edge broke and flew at Shadow. It hit his back and he stumbled forward, but didn't show any signs of pain. Marie stepped back, running into Andrew. She turned around.

"Marie," he said, "are you okay? We got the word from Lily on what was happening." He had his full suit on and she could see the others coming, also with their suits. Andrew's was all black. He had a half mask attached to his costume by a hood. His mask had silver accents and his boots were metal. He wore his metal backpack like he normally would do, just incase he needed something to morph.

"He killed them Andrew," muttered Marie. She turned to face Shadow. "He killed my—" She stopped short when she realized Shadow was gone.

"Where did he go?" asked Andy. Her costume was gray with black at the wrists, neck, and ankles. She had a black gun holster on her left hip. Her mask covered only around her eyes and was also black.

Some of the others had showed up and were checking some of their devices or looking around. They received several strange states from civilians, but no one spoke to them or watched the whole scene play out. Marie glanced around. "Where's Lexie and Lily?" she asked.

"Alex is with Lily," explained Megan. "She had a bad run in with Shadow."

"Shadow?"

"Yeah," said Josiah, "that's what that guy's calling himself now."

Alex and Lily walked up to them. "Guys, Shadow has a serum to take away powers," said Lily, quite pale. "You need to stay away from him."

"Will do," said Andrew.

"Marie," said Alex, "you wanna go suit up? We'll track him down." Marie nodded and hurried off.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Marie's costume was a one piece. It was purple on the top, but by the waist, faded into black. She had a yellow belt with several pouches for things she needed, such as a gun, a few knives, and some pieces of technology Tony had provided. She had a black cape with her symbol on the back. A bird. Her code name was Nightingale. She pulled on her black cowl and ran over to the group.

She stopped and looked at the others. "Have you found him?" she asked. There was silence. "Guys, have you found him?"

"Nightingale…" said Lily, AKA Crystal. "You have two shadows."

Marie laughed. "Oh, don't be ridiculous! You've been watching too much Doctor Who. But I think we can agree we both have," she said with a grin.

"Nightingale," said Raptor, who was Megan, "you really do have two shadows."

Marie's smile was beginning to fade. "You guys are pulling my leg."

"Be calm, and look down…slowly," advised Siah, who's codename was Chamaeleo.

Marie glanced down at her feet and her heart pounded. She did, indeed, have two shadows. One the way it should be, and another jutting out at another angle. "What do I do," she whispered in worry.

Before anyone could reply, the shadow seeped out of the ground and into the air, forming Shadow. He grabbed Marie and stood near the edge. Everyone pulled out their weapons.

"Ah ah ah!" he said. "If you make any moves, Marie goes over." He stepped closer to the edge. He put his arm around Marie's neck and she struggled in his grasp. Her hands pried at his arm.

While all this was happening, Andrew was slowly manipulating the metal railing behind Shadow. Marie reached into Shadow's pocket and took out another needle. She jabbed it into his leg and he growled. The metal quickly curled around his feet and pulled. He fell backwards, his grip on Marie not letting up. Megan ran to the edge and grabbed Marie. She held onto her hand and tried to pull her up. Andrew came over to help. Using his super strength, he pulled Marie up. She stood by the railing, her legs shaking. She tried to compose herself. She waited for a moment, trying to calm down and not freak out. She stood up straight and looked at the others. "Well," she said. "That's over. Shadow's gone. No powers to teleport away." She smiled at the ground and then looked up at the others. She let an all out grin spread across her face.

Marie face fell suddenly and she bit her lip and her eyes closed shut, letting a hiss of pain escape her lips. Shadow was holding onto the edge and had his other hand on a needle in Marie's ankle. "If I'm falling," he growled, "you're falling with me. Just like your parents." Feeling left her legs and she collapsed, Shadow pulling her over the edge.

"**NO**!" screamed Lily, running as fast as she could. But without her powers she didn't get there fast enough. She keeled down on the edge and leaned over, having just missed Marie. She watched Marie fall from the cliff. The world seemed to go slow. Shadow was further below her and falling. Marie's cape was flailing in the wind. The water was rushing below her as the falls hit the lake below. There was a visible tear falling down Marie's cheek. Then the mist swallowed her up.

"_MARIE_!" Lily screamed. "**_NO_**! _**MARIE**_!" She felt someone grab her shoulder. She shook it off. She couldn't pay attention to anything. She could hear things being said, but no specific words entered into her mind. It was all white noise. Lily could only hear the rushing of the falls and the thumping of her heart. "_No_."

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

_Mission Report:  
Crystal - Wounded in action – not permanent.  
Shadow - Eliminated.  
Nightingale - KIA…Killed in action._

**…**

…

…

…review?…


	9. Life Goes On

9: Life Goes On

**A/N What happened? How come MysteryGal5 and Noodle Fanatic were the only reviewers? Was the chapter too sad? Did it kill your keyboard with feels? :/**

**MysteryGal5 - Few words? Alright. I expected that type of reaction from reviewers. I've only seen one episode from season 7 part 2 of Doctor Who because it costs money to watch it on Amazon. Pfffffft! I'm too cheap to buy it. I'll wait until it's on Prime. But I've seen enough YouTube videos to know what Clara's death was. Yeah, I guess it was kinda like it. You're right. There's no such thing as too much Doctor Who (but my brother and my dad are trying to get me to do a workout for it because they think I sit and watch it too much. Example: Every time someone says Doctor - 10 jumping jacks. I jumped the whole time) RIGHT IN THE FEELS! That's what I was aiming for ;) Not to be too mean or anything.**

**Noodle Fanatic - My room is not messy! Not anymore anyway… Please, no yelling. And I thought your computer broke.**

_*11 Years Later*_

Lily stepped into the snow covered cemetery. She pulled her blue scarf tighter around her neck. She passed several headstones, but none were the one she wanted. She walked down the path, stopping near the edge of the cemetery. Lily fixed her black coat and curled up a bit more inside of it. She looked down at the headstone and began to talk out loud.

"Um…not really sure what to say. Uh…well it's been eleven years. You know that though. Of course you know that. Well I've made my Christmas list. I know, I know. It's too early to make a Christmas list; it's only December first." Lily paused. "But it's my tradition you know. Every year for eleven years, I've made my Christmas list on December first. Yeah, you'd probably say: 'But you're twenty-five! Christmas lists are too childish! They're for kids!' Well what's the point of being an adult if you can't be a kid once in a while?" Lily sighed and messed with her gloves a bit. "You always loved winter. You always said it was your favorite season. You never told me why, so I could only assume. It's wasn't Christmas, no. You loved Christmas, but it's not that. You always got excited when you went to the mountains for the holiday." She looked up at the sky. "It must have been the snow. It never snowed where we were in California. It only ever rained and was blazing hot." Lily smiled a little. "I never actually saw you and snow in the same place before. I wish I could have." She sighed. "You once said that you wish you could make a difference. Well you did. You saved lives, and I know you know you did. Now save your own. When I first joined the Defenders I was alone. That's what us Jr. Heroes are calling ourselves. We aren't Jr. anymore. We've pretty much become the next Avengers. We're the next heroes. But when I joined, I had nobody. Eventually I became friends with Lexie. She was great, but didn't know me very well, and it took a while. It was different. Then you showed up. It was unexpected, but warming. I didn't feel a hole in my heart anymore." Lily tried to keep from crying. "And for eleven years that hole has been there once more. My heart has been filled, but that one hole…that one hole has stayed. I'm dating someone now. He's nice. His name is Jack. He was in the army. He was a captain, actually. You'd probably be smirking right now. But he's good. We're good for each other. He was contacted by SHIELD. He's an agent now, so he know's all about us Defenders." Lily paused for a long time. "But back to the Christmas list. Like always, I have a number one on my list. And the number one is the same thing it's been for eleven years. That one thing is for you to walk through the door. They never found any evidence, so I know…" Lily bit her lip and began to cry. "I just know you have to be alive! Please…for me…just one more wish…Be alive Marie."

Lily rubbed some frost off of the stone so it could be read. She brushed the freshly fallen snow off of the top. A tear fell from her eye and into the snow. She turned around and walked away, her hands stuffed in her pockets.

When she was out of the cemetery, another figure came out from behind a thicket of trees and walked up to the headstone. They kneeled down on one knee to get a better look at the writing.

_Marie Kendra Kiehof_

_-January 24, 2000-  
-December 1, 2013-_

The figure took off their beanie and rubbed their eyes. They turned around and saw Lily step into her car. Getting up, the person took one last look at the headstone before walked away. At the bottom it read:

_Keep me in your mind and in your heart, for we shall all see each other once more._

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Lily stepped into the living room floor of the penthouse. She took off her scarf and her jacket. She set them on a few hooks by the elevator and walked into the main room. The rest of the Defenders were standing and sitting around.

"And what glorious event could cause us to all be in one room at the same time?" asked Lily.

"JARVIS could," said Alex.

"JARVIS, what's going on?" Lily asked the AI.

"I'm afraid the security has been hacked."

"What?!" yelled Siah. "Well have you told Tony about this?"

"My audio has been cut off from floors 35-45."

"Well who would be smart enough to hack in?" asked Megan.

"Somehow they know all the passwords."

"Well where is this person now?" asked Andy.

After a moment, a holographic screen came up of several cameras on several floors. For the most part, things were still. Then there was a flash of movement. "There!" said Alex. "Forty-sixth floor! Camera two!" She got rid of the other cameras and enlarged that video.

There was a person standing by a control panel. It was a side view, but the figure was at a slight angle. They messed with a few buttons at punched in a code. "They have disabled all alarms already not disabled," informed JARVIS. The figure glanced around.

"Wait…" said Andrew. "Is that…?"

"Oh yeah," said Megan. The person hacking was a girl. Early twenties by the looks of it. Around their age most likely. She took off her beanie and let her long, curly hair fall. It was hard to tell what color it was because of the quality of the cameras. The girl pulled open the elevator doors. Siah whistled at her strength. She looked up in the elevator shaft and reached to her belt, which held many tools. She quickly attached a simple harness and began to climb up the thick wires.

"Well are we gonna go stop her, or are we gonna let her reach her goal?" asked Andy. At these words, everyone hurried to suit up.

After only a minute or so, the team stood in the living room once more. "JARVIS," said Lily, "can you locate her and pull up the camera?" There was nothing but silence that answered her question. "JARVIS?"

"Don't worry, I've merely disabled him." Everyone took out there weapons and prepared their powers when they heard the voice. "Oh please," said the mystery person, "I'm sure you don't want to do that." All their guns and gadgets flew out of their hands and into the shadows.

"Show yourself!" ordered Megan.

A sigh came from the dark corner of the room. "I'd rather not." All the guns were kicked away and slid to the Defenders' feet. They were emptied of the bullets and the safety was back on.

"So you're not intent on hurting us? You didn't use them to shoot," said Andy.

"I just wanted to talk to you."

"You just wanted to talk to us?" asked Alex. "There's such a thing as making an appointment."

The person sighed. "You don't know anything do you?"

"I'm sorry?" said Lily, slightly offended.

"I can't just make an appointment, now can I? It never works like that. Especially because I am who I am." The person started to pace in the darkness. "The world never got to know me because of what happened. And you never truly did either." They stepped forward once, they could partially be seen.

"Just step out all the way if you want to talk to us," said Andrew.

Slowly, the figure came out of the shadows. She had long, curly, dark blonde hair, nearly brown, put up in a hair-tie. She had pale green eyes and a smirk playing on her lips. She wore a black leather jacket and tight black pants. Black combat boots and black gloves covered her hands and feet. The girl placed her hands on her hips. "Hello fellas." She gave somewhere between a toothy smile and a smirk. Her teeth were white and her lips were a pale red. She stepped out into the light completely.

Lily froze the stranger's hands together with ice. They raised an eyebrow. Lily stepped forward. "You have exactly ten words and forty-five seconds to tell us how and why you're here."

"My boss."

"Your boss sent you?"

"Yes he did."

"Well how did you get in and how did you hack security?"

"Skills and knowledge. That's all."

"Yeah," said Lily. "That is all. That's how many words you got." She turned to the others. "What do we do with her?"

"Not quite sure," said Andrew. "We should probably take her to SHIELD."

They all exchanged glances then looked at the girl. She blew a bubble out of the gum she had. "Well in that case…" She stepped forward and continued to smirk at the Defenders. "Take me to your leader."

**A/N Voilà! Here you are! Another chapter for y'all!**


	10. I've Waited…So Long

10: I've Waited…So Long

**A/N I'm off to go on a camp out, guys. Probably not gonna update for about a week or so. And then the next week, school starts! YAAAAAY! (Notice my ever so thick sarcasm) Arg! TOO SOON! No! School! Bad school! That is a no-no, school! NO-NO!**

**Cheetahstar - I'm sorry! I'm not trying to make you cry! Or…maybe I am…I'm not 100% sure. Yes, eleven years. Hacking JARVIS was unexpected, hm? Well, here's an update for you. Hopefully less sad…maybe. Okay, it's probably still as sad.**

**Avengerlicious - Hello again :) You liked Lily's speech? It warmed your heart? Well…this chapter's kind of sad. So…yeah…**

**MysteryGal5 - Ugh, why am I hurting so many people's feels? ! ? Thank you though. And oh, I love references to other fandoms. Um…prepare for your feels getting ripped out in this chapter…Just a word of warning…**

**I don't own Marvel**

The mystery girl sat in interrogation room 'B'. Her feet were up on the table and her chair was leaned back on two legs. She still had gum in her mouth, chewing it and occasionally blowing a bubble. Her hands were cuffed together and sat casually on her lap. "Has she said anything?" Siah asked agent Jack Terro. He was Lily's boyfriend she spoke of.

"Not a word. She's as silent as a rock. Hard to get to." Jack shook his head. "She's just smirked at everything we've said, like it was some kind of joke."

"I know it's a one way window," said the girl behind the glass, "I've seen enough detective movies to know. And I know you're talking about me." She turned her head and looked Jack in the eye. He shivered slightly.

"She's been doing that a lot. I don't get how she can see through it." He shook his head. Jack led Josiah over to a table. Several things that they had taken from her were laid out. "She had several things on her belt. This included knives, guns, pepper spray, and a variety of other gadgets." Siah saw five different types of knives. Some were curved, some straight, and some jagged. You definitely didn't want to mess with her, whoever she was.

Lily walked up to the two of them. She stood smack between the duo and leaned on the table. "So how's the investigation been going?" She looked up at Jack and smiled, giving him a quick peck on the cheek. "Has she told you guys anything yet?"

Siah shook his head with a sigh. "No. She's not spilling anything." He looked at Lily. "Maybe you could get to her."

Lily stood up straight. "I'll try." She walked over to the door and went inside the interrogation room. She pulled out the chair across the table and sat down.

"You've come to talk to me," the girl said. It wasn't a question, but a statement.

Lily fixed her position. "Yes."

"You think I'm gonna talk?"

"Yes. So how could you look Jack in the eye?"

The girl smirked and reached up to her eye, pulling out a contact. "Just a little gadget I made. Not x-ray vision, but I can see through that one way window."

There was a long pause between the two. "What's your name?" Lily asked.

The young woman scoffed. "Like I'm going to tell you my name."

"Well mine is Crystal."

There was a brief but sure pause. "Is that your real name?"

"No. It's my codename."

"Well mine is Parker."

"Is that your real name?"

"Nope. Codename." There was another long pause and 'Parker' leaned forward. "I've seen things, Crystal. Things you probably never have. I've waited. I've waited for years. I hid in the shadows, fighting my impulses to hurt, kill, ASSASSINATE." She clenched her jaw and closed her eyes, shaking her head. "They broke me. They…experimented on me." As Parker said all of this, Jack wrote down notes. He collected all information he could. "They gave me memories, FALSE memories. I knew they weren't suppose to be there, but I couldn't help but think they were real! My false memories told me that the Jr. Heroes were the ones who killed my family, but that was WRONG!" She pounded a fist on the table. "I knew it was…But I couldn't help but believe it. It was in my mind. And once you plant something in your mind," she tapped her temple, "it never comes out."

Lily interlaced her two hands together and leaned on the table. "We haven't gone by the Jr. Heroes in nine years. For a majority of this time, we've been the Defenders. How long has it been since you were experimented on?"

Lily had obviously touched a tender spot. Parker's face hardened and she glared. "That is none of your business!" she growled through clenched teeth. She sighed and loosened up a bit. "You don't know much about my past. But I know about yours."

Lily raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Parker smirked. "Oh yes." She glanced up and down Lily several times. "You lost someone. Someone close. Relative? No. Friend. They were one of your best friends. And they died, didn't they. It's been a while now, but they died. Today is the anniversary of their death. I'd say…oh…eleven years. But you still can't let it go, can you. You blame yourself. It's like you think that if you had gotten to them faster they never would have died. You still hold on to everything. You have a boyfriend now, an army man. I'm assuming he's an agent for here? For SHIELD? You love him, but he hasn't filled that gap. That gap in your heart. Nothing can fill it except for your friend's life. But she's gone. You know it, but you refuse to believe it." She leaned in to the red-faced Lily. "So, Lily. Why haven't you let Marie go?"

Lily leapt out of her chair and grabbed Parker. She pushed her up against the wall. "How do you know all of this?" she whispered in an angry tone.

Parker rolled her eyes. "I was there," she said, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

Lily paused, digging back into her memory. "You were that kid across the path, weren't you."

Parker smirked. "No."

Lily paused. "You were getting something at the snack stand behind us."

Parker shook her head. "Nope."

Lily started to loosen her grip. Eventually she pulled away and let Parker try to recover. "Well who are you then? Shadow reincarnated into a girl?"

Parker had a look of disgust on her face. "Ew, goodness no!" She shook her head. "Blech!"

Lily circled her. "Well who are you?"

Parker rolled her eyes and folded her arms. "Look at my, Lily. Really look at me." Lily stopped and stared into Parker's eyes. Those green eyes. Those pale green eyes… "How did I know your name, all the passwords, and Marie's name, huh?" She looked expectantly at Lily. "How did I make your weapons fly out of your hands earlier?" Lily was silent. "Gosh, I thought you were better than this."

Lily stepped back. "Oh my—"

"Pineapples?" interrupted Parker, raising an eyebrow.

Behind the glass, Josiah's eyes widened. "Oh my gosh…"

Lily was in shock for a few moments. "M-Marie?" Parker nodded.

Lily's face hardened. She stomped forward and slapped Marie across the face harshly and as hard as she could. "You…you…ARGH! WHY? YOU WERE ALIVE THIS WHOLE TIME, AND YOU NEVER SAID ANYTHING? YOU LITTLE, SELFISH, SECRETIVE, JERK! WHY DIDN'T YOU COME OUT? YOU COULD'VE COME BACK! WE WOULD'VE PARTIED ON FOREVER! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT BROKE ME? DO YOU? _DO YOU_?!"

Marie muttered something.

"I DIDN'T CATCH THAT!"

"Yes!" yelled Marie. "YES, I DO KNOW HOW MUCH IT BROKE YOU!" She let tears fall down her face. "I wanted to come back, I really, truly did! But…but after what they did to me…I couldn't. They had planted memories. Bad ones. They tried to get me to believe I needed to stop you Jr. Heroes, TO KILL YOU! I was only protecting you and everyone else! I'm sorry! I'm so, so sorry." Marie had a river of tears falling, and so did Lily. Marie fell to her knees. "I got to see you in person once a year. And do you know when that once a year was? December first. I watched you from a thicket of trees every time you spoke to my empty, false, pointless grave. I listened to every word you said, and believe me when I say, I wish I could have spoken to you sooner." There was a long pause before Lily froze the chain connecting the handcuffs together. Then Lily pulled on it and the chain broke. She reached down a hand and Marie excepted it. Lily pulled her friend to her feet, embracing her.

_I sent…a young girl to her death… Lost them…Never again…_


	11. I'd Give My Life

11: I'd Give My Life

**AHHHHHH! I feel like this is getting sadder and sadder! ARG! What's wrong with me? !  
Thanks for waiting while I camped. Anyway…I hope you sort of enjoy this next chapter.**

**MysteryGal5 - Aw, thank you! :D Were you excited when you saw that I updated? Huh? Huh? Were you? Huh? Were you? Were you? That little feeling was right!**

**Cheetahstar - Yeah, Marie's alive :) But…watch out for her in this chapter…**

**STARSCREAM RULEZ - Yep. It hurts. And so does Lily slapping you. That REALLY hurts. But Marie's back! No worries!**

**Avengerlicious - Why that you :) I like twisting things. It is a talent of mine.**

**Does it look like I own Marvel? Oh, really? It does? Well I don't own it, FYI.**

**Warnings: SAD! SAD SAD SAD SAD SAD! And some blood description.**

After getting over the shock that Marie was, in fact, alive, life began to move on again. Everyone settled down, and crime rate was low. Some of them got into relationships, others learned more about each other. They all did. Especially about Marie.

When she fell over Horseshoes Falls eleven years ago, she was found by another secret agency called HELP. They tried to get her to wake up, but she was in a coma. Eventually, some agents-gone-bad kidnapped Marie while she was still in this state of sleep. They still went by HELP to give the real branch a bad name. While she was still in her coma, they did a few tests to manipulate memories. When Marie awoke, the tests were taking their toll.

_Where am I? What's going on? What is this place? Where am I? Where am I? What's happening? Where am I?_

The new memories needed somewhere to stay, so some of Marie's original memories were lost or replaced. Most of them being from early childhood. They trained her up to be an assassin. She went by the name Parker. It was much more…spy like. Sometimes, the false memories would fade and she would realize what she was doing. Then the memories needed to be replenished. About once a month to once every two months.

Parker had lived this false life for a year before she escaped. They had forgotten to give her another dose, so her memories were returning. Soon she realized what they were doing to her and what HELP had done. She managed to run while on an assassination mission. She got to New York City in December and was walking around when she stumbled upon a graveyard. Looking in there, she found her own headstone. It was then she realized everyone thought she was dead. She saw a girl walk up to it, so she hid. This girl was Lily. The moment she saw her she felt the effects of the memories. She had the impulse to harm Lily. Not wanting to put people in danger, she didn't reveal herself.

Not soon after, Parker found herself on the run. People had seen her face before, so sometimes the police would go after her. When she was nineteen, she found one of her best childhood friends, Elizabeth Pennies. Elizabeth agreed to keep Parker safe until it was time to go back. They shared an apartment for five years before Parker gained the courage to go find the Jr. Heroes — or as they were now known as — the Defenders. The memories' impulses had nearly completely faded by this point. Only was it ever so slightly there. It wasn't putting anyone in danger.

Once more, the Jr. Heroes were complete. And once again, they went on a mission. There was supposedly a HYDRA base that contained valuable information for SHIELD. It was mostly abandoned, but there would definitely be guards and agents. It would be dangerous, but hey, nothing they haven't faced before.

"Silver Wing, Invisigirl, Raptor, I need you to go to the second floor and look for that virus," Josiah ordered over his comm link. "Sententia and Nightingale, head to the basement. Crystal, you're with me scouring the first floor. Reminder. We aren't positive it's a virus, but that's what we assume. If you find something, report it." The team moved out and got to their floors.

Marie saw Andy by the staircase. "So," said Andy, "shall we find this virus?" Marie nodded and they both went down the stairs and into the basement. "So…_Parker_…Your hair is longer."

"Of course it is, it's been eleven years."

There was a short pause. "Did you ever get a boyfriend while you were dead?"

"No."

"Oh. Did you ever like someone?"

"No."

Andy paused. "Wow, you had it tough." Marie was silent and they continued to walk down the many stairs.

"We're all good up here," said Megan. "We're coming to the rest of you." Not long after that, Lily stood beside them. Super speed, oh wonders it can do.

"Hey guys," she said.

"Hey," said Andy.

They stepped off of the stairs and into a fairly large room. It was mostly empty except for a very large, cylinder machine in the middle. It was metal for the first three feet, but then it was glass. And inside of that large glass cylinder was a swirling, warm golden light. There were a few wires sticking out of the metal base. There were three of two colors. Black and red. Lily stepped forward and brushed her hand against a console connected to it. Marie and Andy looked around the room. "Guys," said Andy into her comm. "We found something. I'm pretty sure it's not the virus, but it's something, and it looks science-y." There were words of recognition over the line and the others were heading to the basement.

Marie went over to Lily. "What do you think this is?" asked Lily. Marie shrugged. Without warning she gasped loudly and fell to the floor with a thud. "Marie!" Andy and Lily both yelled at once.

Lily kneeled down next to her friend while Andy tried to find the source of attack. "It's a Monetancleasius," a voice said from the doorway. Andy immediately turned around and shot at the person. Lily examined Marie and found a small dart in the back of her neck. Carefully plucking it out, Lily examined the object. "But I'm sure you want to know what's going on with dear Marie." As they said this, Marie began to groan and twitch, muttering incomprehensible things. She had a pained look on her face. "Those memories she had…that assassin of the Defenders in her…it's coming back."

The person walked over to the device and touched it fondly. Marie started to recover and she looked up at Lily. "Marie? Marie, are you okay?" She groaned and sat up, clutching her head.

"Yeah, I'm-I'm fine." She leaned against the Monetancleasius. She grimaced but tried to recover. Lily kneeled next to her. The person looked angered. "What?" asked Marie quietly. "Did your memories not work?" She slowly reached to her belt. She pulled out a gun and pointed it at the man. Before anything else could happen, three shots came from the doorway. The man collapsed to the ground in a heap. All eyes turned to the doorway. There stood Josiah, gun in hand. He slowly lowered it and put it back in its holster. Marie did the same.

The others began to come into the room. Lily looked at Marie. "Are you okay?" she asked. Marie had a blank, unreadable face.

Then there was a terrible noise that everyone recognized as flesh met blade. Lily's eyes widened and she looked shocked. She stumbled back and grabbed herself. Marie had tears falling down from her eyes. "No," she whispered. "No! NO! _NO, LILY!_" She made to go over to Lily, but Lily slowly fell onto her back. She had her bloodied hands near a knife lodged in her side. Marie scurried over to her friend's side. "No no no no no no no!" She looked helplessly over the wound on Lily.

Marie glared up at Josiah. "You know what this is, don't you? You know what this does!"

"Yes," he said quietly. "Yes, this is a Monetancleasius."

"Well what does it do?" Siah didn't answer. "_Josiah, what does it do?"_

"It…can…give people…life." The second he said these words, Marie set to work putting the red wires on Lily. "Marie, it comes with a price. Everything comes with a price."

"And the price is another person's life, isn't it? That's why there's another set of wires." While she said this, Marie began to attach the black wires to herself. Josiah hesitantly nodded.

"I know what you're thinking," said Alex. "_Don't_."

"It'll save her, won't it?" She looked down at her best friend. "It'll save Lily."

"No," Crystal whispered. "No, Marie."

Marie walked over to the console. "Call me Parker, please."

"Mar– Parker," said Megan. "You really shouldn't."

"If I do this…what happens?"

Siah looked down at the machine console. "Your life will be taken from you. You will be killed. For real this time, Parker. _You'll die._"

"But Lily will live, right? It's like my mom always told me…If you have the chance to help someone, help them. I have a chance, so I'm taking it. Besides, I'm the one who stabbed her. It's only fair I do it."

"No…" muttered Lily, "…please."

Parker stepped over to the console. "Afterwards, give a proper grave…"

"Don't say that," Megan insisted.

"…One that actually has a point to it…"

"Parker…"

"…One that signifies a real death."

"Please…"

Marie placed her hand on the knob. "Think of me. Talk about me. All that stuff. In fact…_Keep me in your mind and in your heart, for we shall all see each other once more._" She smiled softly at her quoting of her mock grave.

And with that, she pushed the button.

**URSH GA DURSHK! SPDC?- /)gspuD!: ,0:AC'6,/ talaSVIXixHS! It's going downhill! SOMEONE HELP ME! But I think I have a vague idea about what I want to happen. Only a few more chapters. Heck, who knows, maybe only one!**

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**Thank you.**


	12. Memories

12: Memories

**STARSCREAM RULEZ - Right? Right about what? :/ Well here's the next chappie! :)**

**MysteryGal5 - 3? What do you mean 3? Well thanks anyway :) Hope you continue to read and love! :D**

**Noodle Fanatic - Mm, yes :) Captain Jack :D Dropped a spoon on your toe, huh? Not surprising :) NO! I AM NOT A MOFFAT! …Well…yeah…okay, I guess I am. Oh gosh, I do hope you mean Andrew x Parker O_O Andy's a girl…We'll see about Andrew ;)**

**Disclaimer: 'cause I TOTALLY own Marvel *Stan Lee and the Avengers give me a death stare* Hehe…I was being sarcastic!**

It was…light…fluffy…It felt like a cloud. One of the big, round, puffy, white ones. It was a good sensation. It was…comforting. Like she was wrapped in a warm blanket having just come out of the dryer. She didn't want to leave that feeling. She wanted to continue in this bliss all alone.

Alone.

That was the word that struck her.

Alone.

There was no one in whom she could express the feeling to. There wasn't anyone to be friends with. There wasn't any…there wasn't anyone to love…

Love.

Strange word if you think about it.

What exactly does love mean? A deep emotion for someone? A romantic attachment? Or something more? Was it more than just that?

People say hate is a strong word.

But love…

People throw love around like it's nothing.

It had always been a goal in Marie's life to find someone to love. But how could she love someone if she was alone? If there was no one to love?

Marie didn't want to leave the perfect feeling, but decided she should. When she firmly put her foot down and decided to leave, all went black. She could hear a voice in her head.

_You made the right choice._

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

A noise emanated from Marie's lips. It was somewhere between a sigh and a groan, but could not be placed. She could hear someone shifting in a seat beside her. Forcing her eyelids (which felt like lead) to open, she saw a familiar face. It was Andrew. He smiled. "Well look who's awake," he said. Marie blinking several times and tried to gather the situation. Hospital, obviously. For how long she had been there, she couldn't tell to be honest.

She slowly sat up, trying not to make the IVs in her arms pull out. Marie grimaced as she felt pain in her head. She took a moment to organize everything in her mind. "How long has it been?" asked Marie, looking up at Andrew. He was merely silent but looked around uncomfortably. Marie felt a bad feeling in the pit of her stomach. "Andrew–" She was interrupted by a bone crushing hug. She looked shocked for a moment but slowly decided to accept it. She wrapped her arms around him, accepting the embrace. Andrew kissed her head. "I can honestly say I have no idea what's going on, but this is nice, the hug is nice."

Andrew let go and looked at Marie, a confused, worried look on his face. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"Um, pushing the button to save Lily." Andrew's eyes widened. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, looking defeated for some reason. Three people walked through the door, entering the room. It was Andy, Lily, and Alex.

Lily had a large grin on her face. "I told you!" she boasted. "Come on, cough it up!" Alex and Andy grumbled and reached into their pockets, each taking out a five dollar bill and handing it over to Lily.

Marie must have had a look of confusion on her face, so Andy explained. "We all bet what was going to happen when you woke up. Lily had bet Andrew would hug you." Andrew went red-faced.

Marie was still confused. "Why?"

"It's been seven months since you gave your life away," Andrew said. "We managed to stop the process halfway through. This left both you and Lily half alive. We got you both to the SHIELD hospital fast enough and Lily made a quick recovery."

"Nothing but a scar," Lily said with a smile. It seemed fake though. She seemed to be worried on the inside. She kept glancing back and forth from Andrew to Marie.

"But you…you didn't come through so fast." Andrew shook his head. "You fell into a coma and you've spent seven months like this. The doctors said if you didn't wake up within the month they would…they would take you off of life support."

The past comatose patient looked up at her friends. "Where's everyone else?" she asked.

Lexie shrugged. "Various places. At the tower, on missions, that kind if stuff." Marie nodded.

Seven months. Seven months! If she felt like this, oh how Steve must have felt. She looked over Lily and her eyes widened. "No," she whispered. "Oh, no no! Really? Have you had the wedding yet, or are you just engaged?" Lily looked down at the ring on her finger and smiled half heartedly.

"Er…sorry about that…we kinda had the wedding."

Marie sighed loudly and leaned back in defeat. "It was Jack, right?" Lily nodded happily, but worriedly.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

Marie was sitting alone on the hospital bed, flipping through a book Andrew had given her. There was a knock at the door and Alex walked through. "Hey, Marie. Just though I'd talk to you." Marie folded down the corner of the page and closed the novel, setting it on the table next to her. Lexie pulled up a chair and sat down. "You know how when you first woke up today, Andrew was sitting there and he hugged you?"

Marie shrugged. "Yeah. And kissed me. I was kinda confused and weirded out. I mean, we never really got to know each other." Alex interlaced her hands together and put them up by her mouth in a thinking position. "Right?"

Lexie sighed. "Look, Marie, I'm just going to flat out tell you…you've only been in a coma for three months."

There was a moment of confused silence. Marie smiled in confusion. "What?" she asked with a laugh. "How?…It's June, Lexie! How can I have only been in a coma for three months?"

"You woke up after a day, Marie. You were up and about for four months. You and Andrew…" she trailed off.

"Andrew and I…what?"

"…You and Andrew are dating."

Marie looked a little taken aback. "Well…Well how did I get like this then?"

Lexie half smiled. "Miraculously and against all forces of nature, you and Andrew were put on a mission together." Marie rolled her eyes with a smile. "It was supposed to be simple. Walk around the streets of London acting like civilians, try to find evidence of this guy SHIELD was tracking, and take that evidence back to SHIELD. That was the plan, but like always, heck broke loose. You actually found the guy and - of course - you weren't prepared." She leaned her chair back. "You and Andrew were trying to chase him, but lo and behold, it had rained the night before. You would have thought it would be something a bit more…epic…than this. But the reason because you fell into a coma was because you slipped in one of the puddles," she tapped her head, "and hit your head on a staircase. In just the right area too. Apparently you've lost the last four months of your conscious memory."

Marie was silent. Was it true? It would make sense. But why didn't they just tell her this earlier when she woke up? It would have saved a heck of a lot of time and a heck of a lot of lies. "And Lily's wedding? Was I…awake for that?"

Alex nodded. "Oh yeah. You were her bridesmaid." _Not surprising_, Marie thought. "I know it's all a little much to take in at once, but it would be better to tell you sooner than later."

Marie grinned. "Yeah. But I've died twice. That's enough. I'm not a cat. Or a Time Lord for that matter." Lexie looked confused and Marie just laughed. "I'm just glad to be back. Permanently."

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

_Defenders. Earth's mightiest heroes since the Avengers. This is the story of that team of heroes. Their mission…To keep justice and balance. To save lives. To boldly do what no other person has done before._

**A/N And THAT my friends…is the almost end of it. We still have an epilogue (I'm sorry! I don't know why I love epilogues so much!). But thank you all. THANK YOU! :D**


	13. Epilogue

**Everything ends. I'm so sad this story is coming to a close! :'( I'm sure lots of you are too. I'd just like to take a moment and thank everyone who favorited, followed, and reviewed. Though this story may be over, that doesn't mean new people can't read it. Feel free to share this to any friends you think may enjoy it. THANK YOU MY FABULOUS FANS!**

**Thank you to my 7 followers!  
Thank you to my 6 favoriters!**

**MysteryGal5 - I figured it was a typo :) Yeah, I'm so sad it's ending D: Don't worry, Marie always pulls out in the end. *sigh* What sad music can do to you. This chapter has a sad song in it.**

**STARSCREAM RULEZ - It was getting sadder, but don't worry. The sadness is over. There is a happy ending yet to come in this chapter :) Thank you…**

**Cheetahstar - Haha. Thanks. I was actually thinking about Star Trek when I wrote it :)**

_*1 Year later*_

Marie and Andrew were standing side by side and hand in hand. Marie's wedding dress was frilly and long. The sleeves were lacy, as were the ends. She was grinning so much, everyone was surprised her mouth didn't ache yet. She turned around and tossed her bouquet of flowers into the air. After some shouts and other noises, Marie turned back around. Andy had caught it. Andy turned and made eye contact with Josiah. They had been dating each other for a month and a half now. They both blushed hard and red. Bright red. Plenty of people noticed this, so there were lots of laughs.

The program read:

Wedding reception of Andrew Marcus Jones and Marie Kendra Kiehof

The wedding reception went on for a while before the wedding cake was brought out. Right before it was, Andrew saw two people walk through the doorway. Well, in a sense, three. Or as some people might say, two and a half. Andrew got Marie's attention and gestured towards the door. She smiled and went over to greet them. "Lily! You swallowed a planet!"

She raised an eyebrow at her friend. "That's…not the right thing to say." Be that as it may, the three of them laughed together.

"You didn't need to come," said Marie. "I understand if it's a bit hard at this point in time—"

"Oh don't be ridiculous! And miss the wedding reception of my best superhero friend? Not likely."

Marie smiled and walked away. A few moments later she hurried back. "Wait, you're pregnant?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "No, I swallowed a planet." The all laughed again.

)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(-.-)"(

A half an hour had past, and after a small cake war between the newly weds, they had cleaned up and were out in the middle of the room, dancing. Marie leaned her head on Andrew's shoulder.

Once the song had ended, another one began. Marie recognized it. She had heard it at lots of receptions she went to as a child. I Loved Her First. It was always used as the father daughter dance. Then a man stepped towards her. He looked to be in his mid-fifties, and he smiled at Marie. "May I have this dance?" Marie looked hesitantly at Andrew and he shrugged. Marie smiled kindly and politely at the man and nodded. Andrew stepped off and stood near a refreshments table next to Jack, Lily, Josiah, and Andy.

Marie dance with the stranger for a bit, letting her thoughts wander. He had the same eyes as she did. No, her father had died. Her nose looked a lot like– No! Her parents passed away when she was thirteen years old! But after experiencing so many things, it was easy to doubt death. In a sense, she had died twice. Coulson was alive too. She shook her head. "Something wrong?" the mystery man asked.

"Not really. It's just…This song is usually played during a father daughter dance. And my father passed away when I was young." The man swallowed and looked down.

"Are you positive?" he asked.

At these words, Marie began to freeze up. "Well…to be honest…no."

He leaned close to Marie and whispered a few words in her ear. A tear slid down her cheek. "How many people in my life will fake their death, huh? Is there a grandma you told me had passed away when I was seven?"

"Well…remember you're goldfish from when you were ten? He's not dead either."

Marie laughed and bit her lip as tears fell. She grabbed the man and hugged him tight. He began to cry also, kissing her head over and over again. "I love you daddy."

"Oh Marie, my Marie. I love you too sweetheart."

_But I loved her first and I held her first  
And a place in my heart will always be hers  
From the first breath she breathed  
When she first smiled at me  
I knew the love of a father runs deep  
And I prayed that she'd find you someday  
But it's still hard to give her away  
I loved her first_

_From the first breath she breathed  
When she first smiled at me  
I knew the love of a father runs deep  
Someday you might know what I'm going through  
When a miracle smiles up at you  
I loved her first._

**And there it is folks. The end of Next Heroes. If you want a better description of Marie's wedding dress PM me and I'll send you the link to a photo I found. That's how I imagine her dress looking like. The song I Loved Her First is definitely one of my favorites. Look it up on YouTube if you have the chance.**

**Care to see more of Marie and/or Lily and/or their friend Elizabeth?**

**Traveling With a Madman - A Doctor Who/Sherlock crossover**

**50 Rules to The Avengers - An Avengers fanfiction**

**Parker in Wonderland - An Avengers/Alice in Wonderland crossover made by my friend whom Lily was based on (Noodle Fanatic).**

**THANK YOU TO ALL OF MY FANS AND FRIENDS! THANK YOU SO MUCH! I CAN NEVER EXPRESS MY FULL GRATITUDE!**


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